Short & Sweet (18)

Encore (Amplified #2) by Tara Kelly 

pub 11/28/16 by Entangled Publishing
NA - Contemporary

1 Line Summary: Jasmine fought to be a part of the band C-Side and now they're finally on tour except everything from their gigs to their interpersonal relationships is an absolute mess.
The Couple: The last time we saw Jasmine and Sean (5 years ago!), he'd just broken her heart. The book picks up shortly thereafter and it's pretty tense between them. But it's that tension and the slow burn of their relationship that I enjoyed. They have a lot of chemistry, which is obvious in all their scenes but surprisingly, it's not the core of the story.
The Plot: It's about the band. C-Side tackles a lot of hardships on the road and that's what the book really focused on, as well as some serious themes. The author covers personal ambitions and demons, social media, music, bullying, friendship, self-esteem and mental illness all against the backdrop of a music tour.
Do I recommend? If you've been waiting as long as I have for Encore, read it. It's different in a lot of ways (NA for one thing) and while I had my frustrations, I still enjoyed seeing Jasmine's story finally get closure.

Someone like You (Oxford #3) by Lauren Layne

pub 12/6/16 by Loveswept
Romance - Contemporary

1 Line Summary: Lincoln Mathis is known by everyone as the ultimate playboy but all it takes it one run-in with Daisy Sinclair and they both find themselves unexpectedly opening up to each other.
The Couple: Lincoln and Daisy's romance is very different from the previous Oxford books but as always, the author just reels you in!
The Plot: Lincoln and Daisy are the Best Man and Maid of Honor at his best friend's wedding to her sister and they've been warned not get involved with the other. Of course, that's exactly what they do. But they don't just fall into bed together. Their romance is pretty angsty as they both have personal demons to face. And I think that's what surprised me! So far, Lincoln has been nothing but the lovable playboy and the author really give him a heartbreaking backstory that I think will surprise longtime readers of this series.
Do I recommend? I do! Lauren Layne has been an auto-buy author for me for some time. If you like contemporary romances, she's someone you want to check out.

Feversong (Fever #9) by Karen Marie Moning

pub 1/17/17 by Delacorte Press
Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

1 Line Summary: It's the final book in the series and Mac has just unleashed the Sinsar Dubh from within, and it will do everything it can to destroy their world.
The Couple: Even though Jada/Dani has gotten a bit of romance of her own, it will always come down to Mac and Barrons. Always. They are the reason I read this series (aside from the great storytelling!).
The Plot: I can't say much since it's the final book and all but let's just say, the world is a mess. But the characters -- Mac, Barrons, Ryoden and the rest of the nine, Jada and Dancer -- are fighting the Fae and the Sinsar Dubh while finding a way keeping Mac alive. There were a lot of good things in this installment that reminded me of why I fell in love with this series. Mainly, it got to the heart of Mac & Barrons and let them be the badass power couple they're meant to be. It gave Mac and Dani a second chance. But, I did think the book was too long and could've been pared down quite a bit.
Do I recommend? I do! If you started reading the second arc of Fever, you gotta see it through! That said, I still feel like the series had already ended well with Shadowfever.